| The core area of Tikal is strategically situated on a series of low ridges that rise about 50 meters above two swampy depressions to the east and west. Most of the great buildings presently visible, which are clustered on the high ground of the site core, date from the Late Classic, the time of Tikal's greatest power and most pronounced constructíon activity. A system of earthworks, consisting of a shallow moat below the interior rubble wall, connects the two swampy depressions, to protect Tikal from both the north and the south. The area within these defensible boundaríes totals some 123 square kilometers. Here in the picture is shown the North Acropolis that is one of the oldest building programs in the city. |
